Wednesday, April 7, 2010

SPEAK IT CLEARLY

Almost 10 years ago, I was living in Wilmington, NC and working on my very first film. It was called Freedom Song and starred Danny Glover, Loretta Devine, Vonde Curtis Hall and a bunch of other really cool actors. The best part of working on that film was meeting Denise Woods and her son Terry Leigh. Denise and Terry have become like family to me. When I got the itch to "go west young woman," Denise gave me free shelter in her home in Southern California.

Denise's role on that film and many others was dialect coach. She has a God given talent for voice and speech. Don't take my word for it. I've already in full disclosure admitted that Denise is a very good friend. Proof of her skills is in her list of high profile clients (among them - Mike Myers, Soledad O'Brien, Will Smith, Maggie Gyllenhaal).. You can read more about her clients in the bio below.

All these years later, Dee Dee and I are just beyond excited to partner with Denise as she tours the country offering THE ULTIMATE PUBLIC SPEAKING SEMINAR. On June 5, 2010, she'll be in Washington, DC and on August 5, 2010, she'll be at her alma mater The Juilliard School where she later taught.

OK...So here's the thing. Most people don't realize what a wonderful tool their voice is in creating a positive personal and professional image. I have seen Denise completely transform a person's confidence, by teaching them to use their voice. If you are interested in having her do the same for you, visit http://www.denisewoodsstudios.com and learn more about THE ULTIMATE PUBLIC SPEAKING SEMINAR.

best,

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Denise Woods, a faculty member at the Juilliard Schoolfor nearly a decade, currently teaches voice and speech at California Institute of the Arts. Denise has worked as a vocal coach with NBC Nightly News, CNBC, Bloomberg News, Today Show, CNN, Inside Edition, KTLA News, KNBC Today in LA and the TV Guide Channel. Some of her clients include Soledad O’Brien, Chris Hansen, Maria Bartiromo, Norah O’Donnell, Kim Rouggie, Rachel Boesing and Zorrianna Kit. As a dialect coach for actors in the film industry, her work includes Academy-Award nominated actors Ken Watanabe in The Last Samurai directed by Ed Zwick and Will Smith in Ali directed by Michael Mann. Other films include Shaft starring Jeffrey Wright, Only in America: the Don King Story starring Ving Rhames, Last Holiday starring Queen Latifah, How Stella Got Her Groove Back starring Taye Diggs and Once in the Life written, starring and directed by Laurence Fishburne. She is currently the dialect coach for Tony Sinclair, the Tanqueray Gin spokesperson. Denise has had the honor of working with numerous actors in various venues, however, some of the most rewarding experiences have been those with Phylicia Rashad, Ellen Burstyn, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morris Chestnut, Gloria Reuben, Paul Rodriguez, Victoria Rowell, Eve, Ray Liotta, Porscia DeRossi, Rachel Weisz, Mekhi Phifer, Jeanne Trupplehorn and Mike Myers. In addition to her work with some of theater and film’s most respected actors, Denise is using her expertise to help professional athletes improve their communication and media skills. She has worked with some of sports most popular athletes including players from the New York Knicks and the New York Giants as well as several retired athletes looking to further their careers in broadcasting and business. As a graduate of The Juilliard School, in 1992, she became the first African-American female to join the Drama Division faculty. To date, Denise’s most rewarding achievement has been the creation of “Express Yourself,” a program she founded in 1996 teaching voice, speech and acting to teenagers from the Harlem community.

dee dee and deana

Our Short Story

Sisters Deana Bass and Dee Dee Bass-Francis founded CS Corporate a Washington, DC based Public Affairs firm with offices in Delaware and Georgia.

PR Sidebars is managed by Candace N. Johnson.

Candace, a native of Memphis, TN, is a Communications Assistant at CS Corporate. She is a member of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. She is also a volunteer at the Newseum.

For more CS Corporate Team Bios visit http://www.cscorporate.net. For more information about PR Sidebars contact Candace N. Johnson at cjohnson@cscorporate.net.